This Love Will be Your Downfall
by Xelaric the Nobody
Summary: Nagisa was never really too good in math and science, but when he hit freshmen year, it seemed that everything he knew about the subjects was nothing compared to the challenging high school material. But after being encouraged to be tutored by Ryugazaki Rei, chemistry seems to make much more sense to him. Reigisa, Regular High School AU


**A/N: Hi! I've been absolutely dying to write a Free! fic ever since I finished season one. I've only watched the first episode of season two because I don't have membership on Crunchyroll, and I'm just waiting until all the episodes are available for me to watch. So, this might parallel to season one more that it will to season two. As the story progresses, I might add the characters from season two, but I'll have to see.**

**Enough of my rambling; enjoy the story!**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, or its characters; I only own the plot._**

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**~Part One: Standing Tall—Nagisa~**

"Haru-chan~!" Nagisa shouted while jamming his finger on the doorbell more times than necessary. "Haru-chan, if you don't hurry up, we'll miss the train!"

Makoto gently grabbed Nagisa's wrist. "Maybe you shouldn't ring the bell so many times, Nagisa."

The pair of them waited outside of Haruka's door, straining their ears for a response from their raven-haired friend. After a few minutes, they heard footsteps coming from inside the house. Moments later, Haruka opened the door with the same blank look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something (most likely "good morning"), but Nagisa and Makoto beat him to it.

"Good morning, Haru-chan!" The boys smiled up at their friend. Haruka mumbled his response and fell into step in between Makoto and Nagisa. The blond was practically skipping alongside Haru, chattering about something funny that had happened in his class earlier that week.

School had started nearly two weeks ago, Nagisa being in his first year, and Makoto and Haruka had started their second year at Iwatobi High School. At first, Nagisa had been nervous to start high school, but Makoto and Haruka had told him that it wasn't too bad; there were just more people and the building was bigger. Although this had eased the blonde's nerves slightly, he still had reason to worry. He had heard that the classes were much more in depth, and that the material was much harder than middle school classes. Somehow, Nagisa had managed to survive the first two weeks. If he could do that, then he could survive the whole rest of the year.

The three of them had arrived at the train station, just barely making it onto the train that they needed to get to school on time. When they were safely in the car, Nagisa and Makoto leaned on their knees and panted. Haruka stared off with his still-blank look. As the train started to move, Nagisa plopped down onto one of the only empty seats available and sighed.

"Haru-chan?" Nagisa started. His raven-haired friend hummed in response. "Have you spoken to Rin-chan lately?"

Surprised by the question, Haruka actually looked at Nagisa, a subtle look of surprise on his face. "I talked to him a few days ago. He said he's doing fine at that academy."

Their childhood friend, Mastuoka Rin, had gone to the same school the rest of them had, up until the year that he had started high school. Instead, he transferred to a boarding school called Samezuka Academy. Nagisa hadn't spoken to Rin since the four of them had gotten together those few times over the summer. He hardly ever got to talk to him during the school year, because he was so focused on his studies.

The blond boy sighed. "I wish Rin-chan would visit us some more. It's like we hardly ever see him now." Nagisa slumped back in his seat. "We've been studying too, and we still make time to do things together! I wonder what's got Rin-chan so worked up."

"Maybe he's got other friends," Haruka suggested monotonously. "He must get sick of us some times."

"Uwah—why would you say that, Haru-chan?!" Nagisa jumped to his feet and nearly fell over. Luckily, he grabbed one of the poles that supported the roof. Most of the people in the car were looking at the three boys. "Rin-chan wouldn't get tired of us! He's just busy is all..."

"The why'd you ask me why he never sees us anymore if you knew the answer already?"

"Haru-chan, Nagisa was just thinking aloud," Makoto smiled at Haruka. "Take it easy."

Haruka looked at Makoto, and then he looked to the floor, his face flushed the slightest bit. He shuffled his feet and mumbled something under his breath.

Makoto turned to his blond friend. "I think the reason Rin hasn't come out to get together with the rest of us is because he's so focused on school; Maybe he doesn't want to hang out with us until the school year is over so he doesn't have to worry about his grades or our grades slipping."

Not too totally satisfied with Makoto's response, Nagisa plopped back down into his seat with his arms folded across his chest. Maybe the both of them were right, but the blonde refused to believe so.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. The train stopped twice more at its last two stops, and before the boys knew it, they had arrived at school. Everyone rushed off of the train car, hurrying to class before they could be deemed late. Nagisa said his goodbyes to Makoto and Haruka as they split up to go to their classes.

Nagisa always hated this part of the day. He knew he would see them later, but he wished that the three of them had been in the same year. At least they could still eat lunch together.

The blond boy turned into his classroom to find that he was one of the last students to enter. He shuffled to the back of the room where his assigned seat was. The bell rang just as he sat at his desk. After that, Miss Amakata started to do roll call. After every name was called, she started the day like she always did; with an inspirational quote. Nagisa never really understood the quote's full meaning, but he found it slightly helpful. After her two seconds of inspiration, she started the subject that the blond dreaded most. Algebra.

The hour was long, full of equations and word problems to solve. The blond first year had barely finished the assigned work within the hour. Algebra was one of those things that didn't click with him. History was easy. Language class was a breeze, but algebra and biology? They were like reading an entire novel in a foreign language. And his grades proved that.

After algebra was history, which Nagisa breathed a sigh of relief for. History was his best subject. It was easy to remember names. There was much reading for that day's assignment, but Nagisa didn't mind too much.

Before the blond first year knew it, lunch was upon the school. Nagisa cheerily put his books in his backpack and made his way to the roof where he would meet Makoto and Haruka for lunch. He spotted his two friends immediately and hurried over to them. Nagisa stood in front of them, his usual cheery smile on his face.

"Hello Mako-chan and Haru-chan~!" The blond chimed. Mako and Haru said good afternoon to him and continued to eat their lunch. He plopped down in front of them and took out his own lunch. The hour was quiet between the three of them for the most part. There was chatter every now and then, but most of it was idle.

"I want to go to the beach sometime soon," Haruka mumbled around a bite of his lunch. Makoto quirked an eyebrow at him whilst Nagisa giggled.

"Silly Haru-chan, it's starting to get too cold for the beach!" The first year exclaimed. "It's nearly halfway through September; it's almost always too cold by October."

Mako smiled but furrowed his brow. "Nagisa's right, Haru. I think we're going to have to wait to go to the beach."

The raven haired second year only sighed. He pushed his lunch aside and sat there quietly. Mako checked his watch and gave his friends a five minute warning until the bell. Nagisa scarfed down what was left of his lunch and said goodbye to his friends for the second time that day.

* * *

The final bell had rung, and Nagisa was grateful. His last subject of the day was biology. There was too much to remember for biology; too many vocabulary words, all the parts of all the body systems, what a protein was made of. None of this made much sense to him, although it made it easier to know that everything intertwined at the end of each unit.

The blond first year dumped his books into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He was just about to cross the threshold of the classroom door when the voice of his teacher calling his name stopped him.

"Hazuki-kun, could you stay behind for moment? I'd like to speak to you."

Nagisa turned around to face his teacher. Although her tone seemed a bit concerned, her face was all smiles. The blond smiled back at her and took a few steps towards her at her desk. Miss Amakata had her grade book open, and Nagisa inwardly sighed.

Miss Amakata pointed to a sheet of paper she had printed out. If Nagisa took a closer look at it, he could see that it was a table of his averages from his third year in middle school. Miss Amakata looked up at the blond first year.

"Your grades last year were phenomenal in both math and earth science." His teacher pointed to his averages from both subjects. He had managed to keep a solid 90 or above average in earth science, but struggled a bit in math. His average had usually been in the high 80s, if not low 80s.

"But," Miss Amakata continued. "The grades you've been receiving for algebra and biology aren't as great as these. I know it's only been two weeks since school has started, and I know you're trying your best Hazuki-kun; the material isn't as easy as it was last year for you. But I think it would be best if another student were to tutor you. I called your parents, and they said it was alright with them after I told them the situation."

The blond blinked at her, somewhat surprised. A tutor? Nagisa didn't think that his slipping grades would result in him getting a tutor. He thought about it for a bit. Haruka or Makoto could tutor him. They were both much better in the subjects that he was having trouble with. Nagisa smiled at the thought; that way, he could see them more often _and_ get his grades back up.

Just as the first year was about to suggest this brilliant idea of his, Miss Amakata stood up from her desk. "I hope you don't mind, but I found a student who would be glad to help you out. He's a first year just like you, but he's in a different class. I told him to stop by after the final bell to meet you, so he should be here any minute."

Nagisa's heart sank at her words. There went his idea of having his friends tutor him. The blond bit his lower lip. What if this other student didn't like him at all? Would he not work with Nagisa if he thought so? He stared at the door in anxiety. The other student would be here any minute, like Miss Amakata said. He wasn't too sure if he was prepared for this.

The door opened, and Nagisa's heart pounded. He averted his eyes from him to Miss Amakata's desk. His teacher smiled and walked over to the other boy. "Hazuki-kun, this is Ryugazki Rei."

The blond knew he had to eventually make eye contact with the now named Rei, so he dared himself to glance at him. Rei stood much taller than him. Nagisa probably would've mistaken him for a second or third year had he not been told that he was indeed a first year. Rei's hair was a navy blue color. He also wore red glasses, but couldn't see his eyes, as his lenses were reflecting the light in the room. However, when he moved his head a bit, Nagisa could see that his eyes were a brilliant hue of violet. Rei's expression was a bit hard to read, but from what Nagisa could tell, he looked rather unimpressed. That didn't seem to phase the blond at all. Nagisa walked over to him and smiled brightly, sticking out his hand for Rei to shake.

"Hi, Rei-chan! It's nice to meet you!" the blond boy beamed. "Im Hazuki Nagisa, but you can just call me Nagisa."

Rei looked flustered, but shook the boy's hand anyways. "I never said that you could call me 'Rei-chan', but it's nice to meet you as well. I understand that you're struggling with algebra?"

Nagisa nodded. "Yep! And biology. But Miss Amakata said you'd tutor me so that I could bring my grades up! Right?"

The violet-eyed boy looked taken aback for a moment, but it still didn't phase Nagisa; he just kept smiling. Rei sighed. "Yes, that's what I was told..." He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Nagisa. "Come to that address at around five, alright? We'll start today."

Nagisa beamed up at Rei again. There was no need to worry whether Rei liked him or not now, because he was pretty sure they were off to a good start.


End file.
